DeSantis, alongside Republican leaders in the Florida Legislature, acted in heroic fashion during COVID. Florida under DeSantis mandated that schools had to be open for in-person schooling in fall 2020. Florida under DeSantis blocked local governments, schools, and private businesses from imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates in fall 2021. More than any other state during the COVID era, Florida was freer and more open. None of this would have happened had Florida not assembled its own medical team and ignored Fauci and the feds.